Phantoms of Inuyasha
by Lust for Life My Love
Summary: Retelling of Phantom of the Opera Inuyasha style. Though the phantom will be Sesshomaru! Rating will probably rise in the future if I keep up with this. Depends on how it's taken/feedback I get.
1. Is it the Ghost?

**Chapter One -**_**Is it the Ghost?**_

The evening wasn't as usual as the rest; if you could call any day at the Opera Populaire School and Dance school normal. Tonight the old superintendents Totosai and Myoga were giving a final large performance as a mark of their retirement. It was a little grander, required a little more effort, all of the dancers and singers alike were expected to be on their best behavior. Although the lead singer Kikyo wasn't personally told that, no reason to leave the new managers with a fuming diva. The local community all followed that particular student religiously and she had a larger following than any other performer there, she was expected to move on to to great things.

Then a burst of activity into Kagura, the lead dancer's room, a whirlwind of nervous giggles and high-pitched shrieks of fright. Most of the youngest dance troupe interrupted her space despite her desire to practice her speech to the retiring superintendents; and more importantly, the greeting for the new ones. She glared at them, red eyes narrowing in irritation at the lack of respect she received as the 'head' of her department.

"It's the ghost!" Yuka explained as if that was all the words she needed, locking the door behind the lot of the girls and shivering. Her short black hair tickling her cheeks at the motion.

Kagura's dressing-room was fitted with just enough to fit her station. A vanity with a mirror, a sofa, a chair and a few stand tables, a small tv and stereo took up one corner on a small entertainment center. There was an exceptional amount of closet space to hold the various costumes demanded by the variety of performances the school put on. On the walls hung a few engravings, a single but lovely knit hanging which depicted a slightly faded map of France. It wasn't overly large or immense, but to the girls who all were lodged together in a common area it seemed amazing. To have ones own room and all the space was a world away to the brats invading her quarters then.

"Silly little fool..." She was superstitious enough to rub her own arms when the younger girl mentioned the ghost and after the short mutter she added. "Did you see him?"

"As plainly as I see you now!" She returned, dropping into the couch with a lack of certainty as to if she'd stay standing otherwise.

"I doubt that's the ghost." This time it was Sango, one of the girls that often acted tough but had run inside the room with the rest of the girls nonetheless. "What ghost wears a mask?"

"He came straight through the wall in front of us." Yura commented with a superior tone at Sango. "What sort of not-ghost can do that!"

"You see the ghost everywhere." Sango pointed out drily, irritated she'd fallen into the craze for a moment with the rest of the girls. "This is the twenty-first century, you should be watching less horror movies and practicing instead. A lot of you had steps off earlier tonight."

It was true enough, for several weeks now very little had been discussed at the school but this 'ghost' dressed in a lovely tux who stalked about from building to building on the campus, like a shadow. He spoke to no one and no one dared speak with him, he vanished as soon as he was seen, no one knows how or where. He doesn't make any noise when he walked like any other ghost. For a while it was a joke, people would make fun of others going out late with comments like 'don't frighten the ghost' or 'hope you don't come across the ghost'. Unfortunately, those stories were quickly becoming legend, particularly among the youngest class of girls at the school. Recently more and more the girls were pretending to have met this supernatural being more and more often, or used the stories for excuses. If anyone had an accident, something became misplaced, or a practical joke was had it was all at the guilty hands of the ghost.

No one had seen him in person. There were many men that came to the school or were walking around the school in costume that the expensive clothing were not out of place. It was only the mask that seemed to stand out in all the stories told.

Miroku, the recent chief of scenery in the school, a senior this year, was apparently the only one to have seen the ghost in person. He had run across him on accident retrieving some props from one of the lower basements of the school's grounds. He'd only seen the fellow a moment before the ghost had fled - and to anyone who would listen he said this:

He is extremely tall, he could probably reach up himself without a ladder and undo light bulbs and the tux he wears was of very rich quality. His eyes are a frightening yellow, like you might expect from a monster, aggressive like no animal I've ever seen. His skin is very pale, translucent almost and nearly blending into the white mask he wears. Exceptional silver hair falls around his face in bangs and then so far down his back it looks like a cloak.

Though it wasn't as if most took Miroku very seriously, the man had a common habit of hitting on the other girls and often would tell any sort of story to get a few moments of attention from them. If it wasn't for the amount of accidents and spottings that had popped up recently likely his stories would have been thought of as just that, tales of a lonely man seeking company.

For instance, a fireman is a brave fellow! He fears nothing, least of all fire! Well, the fireman in question, who had gone to make a round of inspection in the cellars, suddenly reappeared on the stage, pale, scared, trembling, and practically fainted in the arms of the proud mother of feisty Sango. And why? Because he had seen coming toward him, at the level of his head, but without a body attached to it, a skeletal head of fire! And, as I said, a fireman is not afraid of fire.

No one had gone down since, though there was much talk of it in the student body about setting up cameras and the like. Which the school was against, nothing of this strange man with a mask had been caught on the school's security cameras so they so far had been totally ignoring the existence of any sort of apparition.

To return to the events.

"It's the ghost!" Yuka cried out at a thump on one of the walls.

Silence enveloped the dressing-room that had been drenched in sound moments before. Nothing was heard but the hard breathing of the girls. Eventually they heard the smallest sound in the hallway outside the door, everyone stared at the locked piece of wood like it was their last piece of defense. It seemed to stop just on the other side.

Trying to show a brave face, perhaps learn a little respect with the other girls. Kagura stood and went to the door, asking in a voice that only quivered once. "Who's there?"

The suffering silence continued and she didn't have an answer at all.

"Is there anyone behind the door here?" She managed to keep her voice steady that time.

"Oh, yes, yes! There must be!" Eri cried, she was one of Yuka's best friends and quick to jump on the same boat as her friend. "Don't open the door! Please don't open the door!"

Kagura had a bladed fan that never left her side, she opened the door while the other girls retreated as far as they could to the other side of the dressing room. Looking into the passage and gaining some of the prestige she was after with the other girls she frowned a little. It was empty, fluoresent lighting leaving little darkness but a hallway free of other individuals.

"No." She rolled her eyes as she turned around. "There is no one there."

"We saw him!" Yuka declared, stepping up close to Eri, the two girls holding hands for strength. "He must be somewhere prowling about. I won't go back to dress. We should all go down together to listen to the speech and then come up again all together."

"Come on, are you children? Pull yourselves together!" Kagura said with the scowl back in place as she was reminded how close they were to the time for her to give her speech; the one she still needed to practice. "I doubt anyone's seen a ghost."

"Yes, we all saw him, just now!" All the girls cried out now. "He had the mask!"

"And Grandpa saw him too!" Eri added. "Only yesterday in broad daylight!"

"Grandpa?" Kagura blinked before she connected the nickname. "The chorus-master?"

"Yes, didn't you know?" Yura commented this time in her superior manner, smiling at having more information than the lead dancer. "He told all of us. He was in the main office and Jaken went in. You know the short mean little imp of a man. It's not that any of us like him, why he is allowed to hang around here I dunno, he must be a donator. Anyway, Grandpa saw the ghost appear right behind Jaken and ran off frightened out of his wits, slammed his head good not looking where he was going. Said those yellow eyes seemed like they wanted to devour his soul right there."

"Grandpa's pretty superstitious." Sango pointed out knowing it was a losing battle to try to reason with them.

"Everyone would do better to learn the wisdom of silence." The new face in the door got a few shrieks and one of the girls fell back onto the couch with fright. It was Kaede. The lead teacher for all dancing and choreography at the school.

"Why not talk about it?" One of the girls asked.

"Thats mother's opinion." Sango stated, but didn't feel bad as she'd been one of the ones not advocating the nonsense.

"Why would it be her opinion?" Another spoke up curiously.

"Shush!" Sango glared at them. "She says the ghost doesn't like being talked about."

"Why would she say that!" Eri asked curiously, starting to crowd with the other girls searching for answers from the other dancer in their midst.

"Nothing," Sango replied, frowning deeply at the sudden onslaught of estrogen. "I swore I wouldn't tell."

Though the girls didn't plan to leave her peace the older woman shook her head at them all. "All of you need to learn to not be so nosy, it's unladylike. Come now, all of you need to change and allow Kagura some time before she's due downstairs."

They all headed out with their heads hung down, some grumbling, others chancing more whispered questions at Sango. Who was torn over what she should even believe. Her mother had told her not to press the issue, and not to talk about the ghost. But she'd seen her mother's notes, when the diary was left open one evening.

It talked about the private box reserved for a 'mysterious benefactor' and that she never saw anyone inside when she delivered the program but that she'd heard someone inside several times. She'd even sounded nervous about it. It was Box 5, one of the few right next to the stage on the left. It was someone's box, and it had been reserved starting a month ago when the 'hauntings' had begun. Sango also knew it was on continued orders never to be sold. She was starting to wonder herself if there was a ghost at their school.

**End Chapter**

Many thanks to Megi Keishii for helping by Beta-ing this fiction for me.


	2. The New Sophie

**Chapter 2 -** _**The New Sophie**_

After a lot of prompting the group eventually broke off and returned to the foyer, dressed in normal clothes again and still whispering stories about the ghost. The main area was grandiose as the school was often only attended by the richest or the best of the art and many that did graduate offered money back to their alma mater. The floor was completely marble and a paired grand staircase circled around a grand fountain of the nine greek muses. Coins twinkling in the bottom from dreamers that made wishes to the elusive creatures.

On the first landing Sango ran into Inuyasha, one of the people that had put a lot of money behind the school recently. He frowned only a moment at the bump before nodding in recognition to Kaede's daughter, a smile resurfacing quickly on his young features.

"You did very well tonight." He offered the compliment still glancing around as if looking for someone else. "And Kagome Higurashi...what a triumph!"

"Not likely." Sango commented watching the young man as if he'd lost his mind. "She was still barely passing her singing lessons last I saw her a few months ago. I need by however, some of the girls and I are planning to go out to the market and relax after the weekend. If I miss the cab I can't afford to pay for one myself."

The school wasn't too far from Seattle, and the Pike Place Market had become somewhere they liked to go walk around and look for deals on jewelry or whatever else the many stalls held. Even if you didn't have a lot of money you could enjoy the lovely view of the ocean that nearly touched the market's edge.

She moved off from the foyer to outside as it was steadily getting crowded with people talking after the performance. Inuyasha had been right; rarely had performances ever come close to this one. She had performed a stunning job as Sophie from Mamma Mia, gaining more talk than the singer that had been on as the main character; Donna. Other singers had been on and off and a set of separate performances had been put in between scenes of the currently popular play.

She had been replacing Kikyo, a favorite at the school because her parents had given much money to get it started and continued to donate. She had come down ill and hadn't been able to perform so Kagome had taken over as her understudy. Though most people were pleased with the change and went on about the lovely, seraphic voice of the young woman.

It was a mystery that she'd done so well amongst many of the attendees, most of them had heard horrible notes from her throat not more than a month before. Only the students that shared direct singing classes with her had seen the quick transformation in her voice. In weeks time she'd gone from frog to angel, and even they weren't sure why she was suddenly doing so well where she had struggled before. She didn't stay after classes for extra time and she rarely left her tiny room unshared with any other students on the first floor. Some thought she was simply faking the first half of the class to make it easier later and had made the change too quickly. Others noted her shyness and lack of much social interaction but didn't believe her capable of such deception. She'd mentioned to the teacher several times she would spend her time practicing, but so much in such little time seemed a miracle.

The Comte Toshai, standing up in his box, listened to all this frenzy and took part in it by loudly applauding. Sesshomaru Comte Toshai was nearing thirty years of age. He was a great aristocrat and a good-looking man, above middle height and with attractive features, in spite of his hard forehead and his rather cold eyes. He was exquisitely polite to the women and a little haughty to the men, who did not always forgive him for his successes in society. He had an excellent heart and an irreproachable conscience. On the death of old Count Toshai, he became the head of one of the oldest and most distinguished families in the world, whose arms dated back to the times of the bible. The Toshai's owned a great deal of property; and, when the old count, who was a widower, died, it was no easy task for Sesshomaru to accept the management of so large an estate. His brother, Inuyasha, would not hear of a division and waived their claim to their shares, leaving themselves entirely in Sesshomaru's hands, as though the right of primogeniture had never ceased to exist.

The mother of the Toshai brothers, had died giving birth to Inuyasha who was born twenty years after his elder brother. At the time of the old count's death, Inuyasha was still barely a babe. Sesshomaru busied himself actively with finding caretakers for the youngster while he pursued his own business matters. He was assisted by an old aunt of the family that lived near the ocean front and had given Inuyasha a taste for the sea. He'd entered the navy and made trips the world over for four years before leaving again. Meanwhile Sesshomaru had already volunteered in the military even before his brother's birth and spent his years building a large business in weaponry, staying connected to the military. Now he was stuck with his younger brother again, needing to teach him the way of the company, as their father had legally left a great portion to him once he was ready to take it on.

He was aggressive and acted without thinking often, so much so the stupidity he showed off at times was remarkable. It was as if all the special schools and money spent was neatly wasted. His manners were barely passable even at events such as this, but the school made as good a place as any to train the pup. He was barely over twenty, having graduated and entered the service at sixteen, yet he still looked as if he could blend into the student body easily. He had long silver hair like the rest of the family, golden eyes which were another trademark. He was short but lean and pulled consistently at the suit he'd been given to dress in for the occasion.

Many thought that Sesshomaru spoiled Inuyasha but it was rather the opposite. It had been simply easier to keep his busy and therefor out of the way up until the point that he exited the military. Sesshomaru blamed the youth for the death's of both of their parents. Mother had died giving birth to him, and father hadn't lasted long without her. In hoping he would start to learn more easily and pick up the proper manner he began to bring him along on any sort of work or social outing Sessomaru indulged in himself. It was perhaps strange that he, one of the heads of a military weapons development business, would take in broadway. However he considered it a luxury for those with the money to afford it, it wasn't a cheap hobby and the stage took much more skill than those behind a camera. You only had a single chance to make it right live.

Sesshomaru himself had a character leaned much more toward work but he used his love of theater as an outlet to indulge personal pleasures; his demeanor was always faultless; and he was incapable of setting his brother a bad example. He took him with him wherever he went. He even introduced him to the foyer of the ballet. It was bothersome that he had begun to learn names of the students, likely he wouldn't hesitate to deflower one that would be quick to lay a law suit if they happened to 'break up'. If he hadn't insisted several times and continued to go on about wanting to see the back stage for the last several events he wouldn't have stayed at all after the performances.

"Let's go see Kagome." He repeated again. "She never sang like that before."

He frowned at his brother, disliking the way this was going. It was easy to see by the way he fidgeted as they walked that he was enamored of the girl. Something that was bothersome but would fix itself soon enough.

They reached the stage and pressed through the crowd of gentlemen, ladies, scene-shifters, and chorus-girls, Inuyasha leading the way at this point. His face set with passion and feeling his feet would take him where he needed to be. Sesshomaru followed with a complete lack of mirth, not even faking a smile. Several of the chorus and other actors were blocking the thin passage to the dressing rooms and he got several comments and even a pinch before he managed to reach the end of the hall.

Sesshomaru was mildly surprised he knew the way, he'd certainly never taken him to this area and had to conclude he'd already visited the girl prior to this when he'd been speaking to the new superintendents and the other board holders as to changes to be made or rules to be kept with them taking over.

Postponing his visit to that office he instead continued to follow his brother to the door of the dressing room, though it had never been so crammed on this end of the hallway until this evening. The entire school seemed excited by her success and also by her fainting at the end of her performance to the applauds. The schools live in nurse had already arrived ahead of them and while they forced their way to the door many separated, most of the school was a bit afraid of Sesshomaru.

"Don't you think, Nurse, that the rest of these should clear the hall?" Inuyasha asked cooly. "There's no way for her to relax or breath."

"Quite right." The nurse agreed, glanced at the hall and sending them away except for her personal assistant and the two brothers. During the commotion Sesshomaru leaned to tell his brother to come soon and attend the meeting. He didn't actually want him there, but better than here getting into trouble Sesshomaru couldn't watch.

The new superintendents, Kouga and Hachi had arrived to give congratulations as well as sympathy found themselves being turned around. Kouga laughed as he saw the people at the door, leaning to whisper to his partner.

"Well his brother is quite the rogue." He was obviously speaking of Inuyasha. "Can't blame him, I went after a high school girl or two in my day."

Kagome uttered a deep sigh, groaned, turned her head and jumped when she saw Inuyasha. She looked to the nurse, who earned a smile, the assistant, then Inuyasha again. "Who are you?"

"Kagome." He grinned at her and shook his long silver locks. "All that work running to save your red scarf. I was soaked to the bone that day."

She just blinked at him.

"I can't believe you don't recognize me. May we speak in private?" He asked still excited to see his childhood friend.

"When I feel better maybe." She answered nervously.

"Yes." The nurse agreed, shooing at him with her hands. "You also need to allow her to rest like all the others. Let me look her over and give her time to recover."

"I am not ill now." Kagome stated, standing up with an unexpected energy, pressing her hand over her cheeks and nodding. "Thank you Nurse but I'd like to be alone for a while. I think just some of that rest would do me well."

The nurse thought about protesting but her check of vitals hadn't given her anything out of the ordinary. "Okay but I want you to check in with me tomorrow morning whenever you get up. Before you go out on the town but after breakfast."

She followed out with Inuyasha and her assistant, shaking her head a little. "You'll have to forgive her sir, she'd not herself after all the attention. She normally is more polite."

Then the nurse and assistant left and Inuyasha was left alone outside her room, he could still pick up her perfume barely beneath the dust of the basement level. This part of the threater was now deserted, the farewell speech Kagura was working so hard on taking place in the main area after the break. Thinking after she redressed Kagome might want to attend he waited in the hallway. He hid a little further way and stared at the door, he wanted to speak to her so much he couldn't yet walk away even if he wasn't listening to his brother's orders. Sesshomaru pissed him off most of the time anyway, he'd never be good enough compared to the success his older brother was.

Eventually he took his chances and walked closer to the door, if he knocked then just a few moments of her time couldn't hurt her more. Hardly breathing he crept up to the dressing room and before he could knock he heard a man's voice that was familiar yet mysterious on the other side.

"Kagome, you must continue to practice!"

Kagome's voice, trembling and with a sorrow that made Inuyasha instantly angry, he could picture the tears in her eyes, replied. "How can you talk like that? I sing only for you! I worked for hours and hours to get it just right."

Inuyasha leaned against the opposite wall, hoping the cool of the concrete would help him relax. His heart seemed to throb so heavily in his chest that it echoed in the empty passage. If it was nearly deafening for him then they were bound to hear him and catch him eavesdropping like a fool.

Then the voice spoke again, giving him a moment to realize he hadn't been discovered yet. "Are you very tired?"

"Oh, tonight I sang so much I feel part of my soul has left me. I am dead tired." Kagome answered.

"Your soul is a beautiful thing child." the haunting but beautiful voice replied. "and I thank you. No man ever received so lovely a gift. The angels wept tonight."

Inuyasha heard nothing after that. But he refused to go away, instead returning a bit down the hall in fear of being overheard if he stumbled. He was determined to wait for the man to leave the room. He knew now why there was a thin line between love and hate. He loved Kagome but he had to know the face of the man he now hated. To his great astonishment, the door opened and Kagome appeared, dressed in normal clothes again and with a coat over her arm. She closed the door behind her, probably heading back to her dorm room, her head toward the floor as if lost in thought. She walked right by him, but he had his eyes on the door, which did not open again for some time.

Once she'd vanished he waited another moment, returned and opened the door of the dressing room, went in and shut the door. He found himself in absolute darkness, she'd flipped the switch off when she left and he was searching for it.

"There is someone here!" He said with a bravado he didn't completely feel now that he was stuck in a dark room. "What are you hiding for?"

All was darkness and silence. Inuyasha heard only the sound of his own breathing.

"You won't leave this room until I let you!" He exclaimed. "If you don't answer, you are a coward! But I'll expose you!"

He found the switch and hit it, the neon lights coming to life with a low hum. But there was no one in the room! He checked the closets, behind the furniture, felt the walls over just to be certain but there was nothing.

"Am I going mad?" He asked himself aloud, frowning, he was certain he hadn't imagined a man's voice, there was no other way out of the backstage from this point.

He stood for a whole ten minutes listening to his heartbeat slowly calming and the hum of the lighting. Lover though he hoped to be, he couldn't bring himself to steal a ribbon that would give him the lovely perfume of the woman he loved. He instead left the room, moving toward the upstairs numbly.

At least Sesshomaru didn't yell at him for being late, he failed to notice that his older brother had entered only shortly before he himself had arrived.

**End Chapter**


	3. The Mysterious Reason

**Chapter Three -** _**The Mysterious Reason**_

As previously mentioned; the farewell ceremony was taking place. The occasion of the retirement of the previous superintendents Totosai and Myoga. They were meeting within the single board room that existed usually for professor and superintendent gatherings. The group of men on the board of the school chatting with a few of the students that worked as assistant instructors. A couple in particular interested in Kagura after her farewell speech. She was eighteen and a senior, which meant being of legal age had a few of the less faithful men on the board chatting in hopes of more than details about dance instruction.

Most of the students had left either back to their dormitory rooms or to visit the city. A lot of the parents and people that had come to watch the productions were still getting into cars or already driving out of the long path that lead up to the gate, that mixed with the cabs picking up students eager for a night out to a movie, shopping, or dinner (or all of the above) made for a bit of congestion in the parking lot.

Inside the demeanor was politely serious but friendly, the usual businesslike American ambience in such a situation. It was the way of anyone with money these days, irregardless of other things going on you put on a smile and you politely speak of current events or the weather for less well known individuals. It's all a masked ball, with the board room functioning as the magnificently and neatly kept dance floor. It was cool, almost devoid of color or feeling, there was a single picture on a wall of a simple landscape that could be seen in most waiting areas these days.

Someone gasped and eyes went to Sesshomaru, who had arrived a little late, enough that a couple people whispered they were certain the busy C.E.O. would have left for other things instead of the small informal meeting. His interest had been renewed as of late as to his position at the table though and people offered forced smiles as he looked around with a much colder expression.

"The Opera Ghost." Kagura rolled her eyes as one of the people near her brought it up. "Hardly worth speaking of. Just a bunch of popular rumors among bored youths with overactive imaginations."

Some of the others nearby nodded agreement to the words, making a few jokes that this 'ghost' should have been there for the lovely rendition of the performance tonight. People that frequented the place and offered smaller donations that still made up a large portion of the funding that kept the school capable of many of it's extra nights like this. They talked of having him perhaps pick up some of the costs himself if he wanted to stay here, all in good fun and with a bit of the champaign that had been broken for the occasion.

Kagura was glad to deflect the conversation away from the speech she'd given, it had barely been suitable and only because she had a good enough memory. As the ghost had been the subject that interrupted her studies it only seemed fair to be the subject to save her now. Everyone seemed pretty happy with the new topic of conversations, a few of the people saying the mysterious specter should have dropped by for a congratulatory toast; both to the now retired superintendents and the students that'd done so well.

Sesshomaru was distracted shortly by a conversation on putting on a Cats show. A demanding idea for any theater, though the one here was large enough it would be more getting all the section heads on board. He however gave his agreement to the others talking and would make it official during the next meeting. He didn't notice Inuyasha arrive until he'd finished that conversation and moved over to him.

"I have a meeting I need to attend." He told his younger brother coldly. "If you don't care to behave yourself go and get a cab home."

"You don't have to be so rude about it." Inuyasha grumbled at him with a frown. Though the eldest brother was already walking away, he knew his orders were to be obeyed. Inuyasha added after him in a mutter. "Jerk."

Then the new superintendents, Kouga and Hachi, arrived. They weren't well known yet but were received well by most of the board, with friendship and flattery. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at it all, the superficial nature of it he didn't like. He preferred to take the cab and perhaps stop at a bar for a while, he had a fake I.D.

He was sad he hadn't been able to see Kagome, it'd been years sense he'd seen her on the beaches where they used to run and play together. She'd grown older and much more beautiful, enough that his fondness wasn't simply that of an old friend. Most of the room didn't really note the passing of the younger brother now that Sesshomaru had already left, they were used to seeing one follow the other.

The new superintendents were doing a short change of station by passing over the master keys and the final paperwork they'd needed to run things here. The side conversations ended, but it was short enough that no one bothered to take a seat that wasn't there already. People clapping politely when they finished with a handshake.

"The Opera Ghost..." Ayumi, the assistant lightning senior student in attendance gasped so clearly most of the room paused. She'd gone completely pale and was staring with her eyes so wide it seemed they might roll out of her skull at any moment.

She slowly raised a shaky hand to point at a chair at the opposite end of the board room not being as used as the one they were on, the lights on that side hadn't even been turned on. Her voice was broken, frightened as she repeated herself. "It's him, it's the opera ghost..."

The figure didn't move or speak, though it had certainly suddenly become the center of attention. It's mask the most easily seen in the shaded half of the space, completely white as if a face were floating there on the other side of the room. The silver hair was almost translucent and the figure seemed to have a small glow that left an ambience of unease among the previously cheery celebrators.

Several of the people within stayed quiet, uncomfortable, until finally Kouga spoke up. "You there, who are you?"

Though then the fellow was just gone, no one saw him vanish, but somehow he had. Everyone had glanced to the speaker and then the target of the question was no longer there. It was terribly frightening and left the light mood of the evening much less so as people decided to start filing out. Half-hearted jokes about something in the champaign as they went, anything to try to ignore the strange events, though more rumors were bound to start shortly.

Elsewhere...

Kagome was sitting back in her desk's chair, alone in her dorm room as Sango had left to enjoy the market for a time. Though it was just as well for her as she very much desired the time to think, she wasn't sure what to consider as to what had happened to her. She couldn't tell anyone that an angel was her new tutor, that the heavenly guardian of music was the one that had inspired her great voice that evening. She knew that she had still not done well enough, that her voice still required much work before she disappointed him again, yet she was glad that he'd complimented her.

Remembering the resonant seraphic tones of his voice as he offered words of praise made her chest rise and stomach quiver with delight. She was exhausted and yet thinking of her angelic teacher made her giddy with excitement. Grabbing her pillow from her bed she jumped onto it and covered herself, shivering with joy and exhaustion as she thought of how lovely her teacher must be. Not that he ever showed himself to her, she only ever heard his flawless baritone, another reason she hesitated to mention it to anyone. She did not wish for them to only consider her crazy, if she was and it was all some fanciful dream, she didn't want them to pull her from it.

Her family had always tried to support her, but it had been difficult after father had died. Her mother and younger brother hadn't been much help, her grandfather had been detrimental trying to teach her music. It had been a task when she first arrived to relearn things completely in the correct way, so much so that she still owed Sango for the long hours her kind hearted roommate had put in helping her adjust to the correct ways. No, her father had been the only musically gifted member of the family and before he'd died had told her he'd send her an angel to watch over her, she simply hadn't expected it to be here and now or in this manner. She'd always had a natural way with dance, it was why she'd been accepted into the school in the first place when she'd applied, but song had always been more troubling for her.

Now though, she'd gone from barely managing to stay in the school because of fighting to master the correct techniques to being hailed for her performance that evening. She'd overheard one student calling it a miracle, but they had no real idea how spot on the statement actually was. The angel had helped her build, and while he was very strict as to her personal schedule and practice she appreciated he was also so incredibly gentle at times that she had to forgive him the moments where he became more outspoken with her.

He'd only grown cross with her once, for going out but forgetting her scarf when she went, she'd gotten a cold and her practice was forced to wait several days while her body recovered. She had since stopped spending as many of the free days away from the school and more in her dressing room in the basement. Though she'd had the excuse of practicing for the role she was to take on in Kikyo's stead she as much went there hoping for the smallest whisper from her unseen mentor. With that gone she would have to be careful not to spend too much time in the basement until she'd managed to get another role or people would grow suspicious of her.

She was already an outcast compared to many here, most were only interested in Kikyo and though they weren't related by blood many had confused them for sisters in the past when they'd been together. They were uncannily similar, and if they used a bit of make up or changed the style of their hair they could probably have passed as twins. Though the resemblance ended there, Kikyo was loud, prideful, and vindictive where Kagome was quiet, humble, and gentle. Not that the other girl wasn't talented, but she often treated Kagome and many of the other members of the student body that weren't on her good side poorly. With her parents donating so much of their money to the school there was very little she wasn't allowed to get away with.

It made her sigh and turn to the other side, such thoughts troubling the mind made it difficult for one to sleep even if exhausted.

Then there was Inuyasha...she had never forgotten him. The very best friend of her youth, he wasn't much different now than he had been then but after the shock of her faint she really hadn't recognized him at first. She remembered him running out and getting sick to save her favorite scarf from when she was that young, it made her wish she'd brought it to the school with her other belongings at the beginning of the semester. They had spent so much time together then, playing on the beach of the Pacific. Running in the sand, laughing, climbing the trees of the forests and getting sticky with the sap of the ever-greens abundant to the area, telling scary stories to each other at night just to keep themselves up a little longer.

As cute a boy as he'd grown into, she couldn't just be wandering off or talking to him alone where rumors could begin. She'd heard before that he wandered here and that he'd dated Kikyo some years back, that the girl had been interested in him once she'd learned he'd be accompanying his older brother. Though irritating the girl that could make her life hell was a part of her decision to pretend she didn't know him there was more to it. It didn't matter even if she had wanted to see him, the angel had been perfectly clear that she had to remain chaste if she wanted his help. Dating was off-limits, she normally didn't mind as none of the boys here did she have an interest in, though in this case she wondered if it would really matter if she met with an old friend just to discuss the good old days camping out beneath the stars.

She smiled a little as she nodded to herself, just a little talk between friends couldn't hurt anything, she could see about contacting him tomorrow then. His email should be in the list of people that donate near his brothers. That much made her smile a little, her thoughts finally settling enough to allow her to drift innocently into a much needed slumber.

There was no way for her to be aware that her 'angel' was watching her from between the walls, looking out at her from the long mirror that covered one of the places. He watched the blanket raise and lower twice before frowning behind the ivory mask, here he was so close and he couldn't reach out and touch her

Originally he only started it as a way to see things that were happening outside of the narrow view he possessed as someone only donating money to the cause. It was amusing that the girls had taken to rumor so quickly, he'd rarely actually been seen by anyone, but now his little game was turning out to be more useful than he'd originally planned.

He had already subverted some manner of control over the last managers through his otherworldly appearances, now it was just a matter of doing it again. He could easily sway them through nothing more than the image of poor luck following his demands not being met.

Even if he donated a lot of money to the cause, most of his contacts that knew of it believed it to only be a way in which to write off taxes. Very few people in the weapons business cared for Broadway, but he'd risk losing a few of the people interested out of thoughtless bias if he allowed them to become aware of how much he liked the arts. He couldn't get so involved as to help with casting or specifics as himself, but as a demanding spectre?

The frown faded and his poker face returned, though it wasn't visible anyway thanks to the garb he'd adorned for his acting as the ghost. Even if he hadn't continued after tonight, the expressions of the people inside the boardroom were worth the small act. He held a gloved hand to the back of the glass, holding it up as if through will alone he could make it open and allow him to brush the strands of hair that had fallen into her face.

The damn girl had stolen away his wiser nature and left him often stalking her or the halls of the school as this persona much more often than he would like. She was incredible though, despite her often soft-spoken nature she had a voice of gold, as pure as a winter's fresh snow, when she knew how to use it properly. Teaching her had been difficult at times but always fulfilling, she was much further along than when they had begun and now she would play a lead role in the coming play. Replacing that god awful girl the rest of the board always pushed because of her parent's money.

He knew that physically they looked similar but the moment the mouth opened it wasn't even a challenge to tell them apart. Kikyo, the worthless creature was loud, possessive, rude and generally a spoiled brat with no sense of art or talent. Kagome meanwhile was the opposite in every way, her personality was what continued to draw him in like a moth to a flame.

There wasn't a latch on this mirror that would allow him access to her room, or he would have taken it already, just to see her a little more closely after all the time he had to spend behind mirrors watching her would be a heavenly release. His willpower was immense, but it was getting more and more difficult not to give himself away, something he couldn't do if he really wanted to have her in a long term manner.

First he had to make her a star, then when she graduated and became more famous he could reach out and begin to court her openly. But first, he had other matters that needed tending to. Threatening new managers, causing ghostly ruckus, all a means to an end.

**End Chapter**


	4. Box Five

**Chapter Four -** _**Box Five**_

Kouga, while a manager wasn't aware of how to read a single note of music, and only recently had learned what sheet music looked like. Enjoying a considerable private income he didn't need to know much of it, he was intelligent enough and had decided to invest in the Opera with Hachi as a much more suitable person who could deal with the actual musical needs of the school. He simply enjoyed having the extra title and the prestige that came along with it, being able to move amongst all the rich parents of the student body.

Hachi, meanwhile was a composer himself, who had published a small amount of successful pieces in a variety of forms of music and enjoyed all manner of musicians. He didn't have a lot of money, but his ability to play several instruments and his ear for talent had gotten him far in the venue. With his friend, Kouga's help he'd garnered this position and the extra work that went with doing his partner's job as well. As a result people made it priority to be in his good favor and just not irritate his partner, who was known to be short of temper.

T he first few days the partners spent at the school were given over to the delight of finding themselves the head of the magnificent an enterprise; they had forgotten all about that fantastic story and the small spotting of the ghost. It was lovely, the school was very good at taking care of itself and even Hachi had more free-time to enjoy the talented practices of students and the amount of work that had been put into the architecture of the modern building. It looked much older than it's time and likely had been extremely expensive in the costs of creation, but he hadn't had a chance to look at those records yet. Then, an incident occurred that proved to them the joke, if the ghost was a mere joke - was not over.

Kouga reached his office that morning at eleven o'clock. The managers shared secretary, a Miss Ayame, showed him half a dozen letters which she had not opened because they were marked "private."

One of the letters at once drew his attention, not only because the envelope was addressed in red ink, but because the writing seemed familiar somehow. He couldn't place where he'd seen it before given all the signatures he'd seen through his years. He opened the letter and read:

_Dear Mr. Manager:_

_I am sorry to have to troubled you at a time when you must be very busy, renewing important engagements, signing fresh ones and generally displaying your excellent taste. I know what you have done for Kikyo, Kagura and Sango as well as for a few others whose admirable qualities of talent or genius you have suspected. _

_Of course, when I use these words, I do not mean to apply them to Kikyo, who sings like a squirt and who ought never to have been allowed to leave a child's basic choir; nor to Kagura, who owes her success mainly to the loose nature of many of the board; nor to Sango, who dances well enough, but could use much improvement. And I am not speaking of Kagome Higurashi either, though her genius is certain, whereas your pointless obsession with popularity prevents her from being cast in any important roll. When all is said, you are free to conduct your little business as you think best, are you not? _

_All the same, I should like to take advantage of the fact that you have not yet turned to Kagome Higurashi, despite her being in the school on scholarship, out of doors by hearing her this evening in the part of Rosie in Mamma Mia, as that of Sophie has been forbidden her since her triumph of the other evening; and I will ask you not to dispose of my box today nor in the future, for I can not end this letter without telling you how disagreeably surprised I have been to hear, on arriving at the Opera, that my box had been sold, at the box-office, by your orders._

_I did not protest, first of all, because I dislike scandals, and, second, because I thought that your predecessors; Totosai and Myoga, who were always charming to me, had neglected, before leaving, to mention my little fads to you. They often seemed to have memory issues and I have not been haunting this place so long that they thought to mention it. I have now received a reply from those gentlemen to my letter asking for an explanation, and this reply proves that you know all about my Memorandum-Book and, consequently, that you are treating me with outrageous contempt. If you desire to live in peace, you must not start off by stealing away my private box. _

_Believe me to be, dear Mr. Manager, without prejudice to these little observations; _

_Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant, School House Ghost._

The letter was accompanied by a cutting from the public column of the local newspaper:

_S.H.G.-There is no excuse for Kouga and Hachi. We told them and left your memorandum-book in their hands. Kind regards._

Kouga had hardly finished reading this letter when Hachi entered, carrying one exactly similar. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"They are keeping up the joke," said Kouga, "but I don't call it funny."

"What does it all mean?" asked Hachi. "Do they believe, because they have been managers of the School, we are going to let them have a box for an indefinite period?"

"I am not in the mood to let myself be laughed at long." said Kouga darkly, his temper just beneath the surface.

"It's harmless enough," observed Hachi. "What is it they really want? A box for tonight?"

Kouga told his secretary to send Box Five on the grand tier to Totosai and Myoga, if it was not sold. It was not. It was to be sent off to them. Neither of the pair lived that far from the school, both owning homes in the ritzy neighborhood where it was placed. He frowned a little about it. "Why should two old men amuse themselves with silly games like this?"

"They might have been civil at the very least!" Hachi replied. "Did you notice how they treated us with regard to Kikyo, Kagura, and Sango? They offered them the positions before we even joined on. We simply have allowed them to stay there."

"By the way," Kouga commented. "They seem to be greatly interested in that young beauty Kagome Higurashi. What do you think of her?"

"You know as well as I do that she has the reputation of being quite good." said Hachi.

"Reputations are easily obtained," replied Kouga. "Haven't I a reputation for knowing all about music? And I don't know one key from another in truth."

"Don't be afraid: you never had that reputation." Hachi declared with a laugh.

Then, before Kouga could turn his temper on him, he ordered the students looking for scholarships or acceptance to be shown in, who, for the last two hours, had been walking up and down outside the door behind which fame and fortune-or dismissal-awaited them.

The entire day was spent in discussing, negotiating, signing or canceling of contracts; and the two suddenly overworked managers left for home early, without so much as casting a glance at Box Five to see whether Totosai and Myoga were enjoying the performance.

Next morning, the managers received a card of thanks from the ghost:

_Dear Mr. Manager: _

_Thank you. Charming evening. Higurashi exquisite. Choruses need some waking up. Kikyo a splendid commonplace instrument. _

_Kind regards. S.H.G. _

On the other hand, there was a letter from Totosai and Myoga:

_Gentlemen: _

_We are much obliged for your kind thought of us, but you will easily understand that the prospect of again hearing Mamma Mia, pleasant though it is to ex-managers of the Opera, can not make us forget that we have no right to occupy Box Five on the grand tier, which is the exclusive property of the ghost of whom we spoke to you when we went through the memorandum-book with you for the last time. See Clause 98, final paragraph. _

_-Misters Myoga and Totosai_

"Oh, those fellows are beginning to annoy me!" shouted Kouga, snatching up the letter with a snarl.

And that evening Box Five was sold.

The next morning, Kouga and Hachi, on reaching their office, found a security report relating to an incident that had happened, the night before, in Box Five. I give the essential part of the report:

_I was obliged to call in a school guard twice, this evening, to clear Box Five on the grand tier, once at the beginning and in the middle of the second act. The occupants, who arrived as the curtain rose on the second act, created a regular scandal by their laughter and loud complaints. There were cries of "Hush!" all around them and the whole House was beginning to protest, when the box-keeper came to fetch me. I entered the box and said what I thought necessary. The people did not seem to me to be in their right mind; and they made stupid remarks. I said that, if the noise was repeated, I should be compelled to clear the box. The moment I left, I heard the laughing again, with fresh protests from the House. I returned with a municipal guard, who turned them out. They protested, still laughing, saying they would not go unless they had their money back. At last, they became quiet and I allowed them to enter the box again. The laughter at once recommenced; and, this time, I had them turned out definitely._

"Send for the security officer," said Kouga to his secretary, who had already read the report and marked it with blue pencil.

Ayame, the secretary, had foreseen the order and called in the man in question from the waiting room."Tell us what happened." Kouga demanded bluntly. The inspector began to splutter and referred to the report. "Well, but what were those people laughing at?" asked Hachi more reasonably."I believe they're possessed of some mental issues sir, they seemed more inclined to linger outside than to listen to good music. The moment they entered the box, they came out again and called the assistant manager on shift, Miss Kaede, who asked them what they wanted. They said, 'Look in the box: there's no one there, is there?' 'No,' said the woman. 'Well,' said they, 'when we went in, we heard a voice saying that the box was taken!'"Hachi could not help smiling as he looked at Kouga; but Kouga did not smile. He himself had done too much in that way in his time not to recognize, in the inspector's story, all the marks of one of those practical jokes which begin by amusing and end by enraging the victims. The security head, to garner favor with Hachi, who was smiling, thought it best to give a smile too. A most unfortunate smile! Kouga glared at his subordinate, who henceforth has made it his business to display a face of utter consternation.

"However, when the people arrived," roared Kouga, "there was no one in the box, was there?"Not a soul, sir, not a soul! Nor in the box on the right, nor in the box on the left: not a soul, sir, I swear! Kaede told it me often enough, which proves that it was all a joke." The security officer said with his new "Oh, you agree, do you?" said Kouga. "You agree! It's a joke! And you think it funny, no doubt?"I think it in very bad taste, sir." The security officer was quick to comment."And what did Kaede say?""Oh, she just said that it was the School House Ghost. That's all she said!" And the head of security grinned. But he soon found that he had made a mistake in grinning, for the words had no sooner left his mouth than Kouga, from gloomy, became furious. "Send for Kaede!" he shouted. "Send for her! This minute! This minute! And bring her in to me here! And turn all those people out!"The security head tried to protest, but Kouga closed his mouth with an angry order to hold his tongue. Then, when the wretched man's lips seemed shut for ever, the manager commanded him to open them once more. "Who is this 'ghost?'" he snarled in displeasure. "There's obviously someone behind this."But the security head was by this time incapable of speaking a word. He managed to convey, by a despairing gesture, that he knew nothing about it, or rather that he did not wish to know. "Have you ever seen him, have you seen this ghost?"The security head, by means of a vigorous shake of the head, denied ever having seen the ghost in question. "No, no sir, never.""Very well!" said Kouga, suddenly Head of Security seemed ready to buckle and beg for his job, wanting to ask why the manager had suddenly gotten so serious but thinking better than opening his mouth again.

"Because I'm going to settle the account of any one who has not seen him!" explained the manager. "As he seems to be everywhere, I can't have people telling me that they see him nowhere. I like people to work for me when I employ them!"

Having said this, Kouga paid no attention to the inspector and discussed various matters of business with his acting-manager, who had entered the room meanwhile. The inspector thought he could go and was gently-oh, so gently!-sidling toward the door, when Kouga nailed the man to the floor with a thundering: "Stay where you are!" Ayame had sent for Kaede despite her resting after being up late and soon she made her appearance.

"What?" This was said in a rough and solemn a tone that, for a moment, Kouga was impressed. He looked at Kaede, in her faded sweater, worn shoes, old taffeta skirt and colorful new hat looked like she was an insane old woman. But she had rights having worked here even before the managers they'd taken over from and they couldn't turn her out without paying her very well for her time.

"What happened last night to make you call in security, Kaede?" Kouga asked seriously.

"I was just wanting to see you about that sir, talk to you, so that you might not have the same unpleasantness as Totosai and Myoga, they didn't listen to the ghost either at first."

"I'm not asking you about all that. I'm asking what happened last night." He interrupted with a frown.

Kaede took a deep breath then huffed with indignation at the way he spoke to her. She rose as if to leave, gathering the folds of her skirt, but, changing her mind, she sat down again and said.

"I'll tell you what happened. The ghost was annoyed again!"

As Kouga was on the point of bursting with his face a new shade of red, Hachi interfered and conducted a much nicer set of questions,, whence it appeared that Kaede thought it quite natural that a voice should be heard to say that a box was taken, when there was nobody in the box. She was unable to explain this phenomenon, but it was not new to her. Nobody could ever see the ghost, but everyone could hear him.

"And, when the ghost speaks to you, what does he say?"

"Well, he tells me to bring him a footstool!"

This time, Kouga burst out laughing, as did Hachi and Ayame, the secretary. Only the Head of Security, warned by experience, was careful not to laugh, while Kaede ventured to adopt an attitude that was positively threatening.

"Instead of laughing," she cried indignantly, "you'd do better to do as Totosai did, who found out for himself."

"Found out about what?" asked Hachi near tears, he had never been so much amused in his life.

"About the ghost, of course!...Look here..." She suddenly calmed herself, feeling that this was a solemn moment in her life:

"Look here," she repeated. "They were playing Rent. Totosai thought he would watch the performance from the ghost's box. ... I was watching him from the back of the next box, which was empty-Totosai got up and walked out quite stiffly, like a statue, and before I had time to ask him what had happened, he was down the staircase, but without breaking his leg.

"Still, that doesn't let us know how the Opera ghost came to ask you for a footstool," insisted Hachi.

"Well, from that evening, no one tried to take the ghost's private box from him. The manager gave orders that he was to have it at each performance. And, whenever he came, he asked me for a footstool."

"A ghost asking for a footstool! Then...this ghost of yours is a woman?" Kouga asked with a scoff, only women asked for footstools at the theater.

"No, the ghost is a man."

"How do you know?"

"He has a man's voice, oh, such a lovely man's voice! This is what happens: When he comes to the school for a performance, it's usually in the middle of the first act. Though he hasn't actually been here too many times, usually it's during the Tuesday or Thursday performances, but never on the weekends. He gives three little taps on the door of Box Five. The first time I heard those three taps, when I knew there was no one in the box, you can think how puzzled I was! I opened the door, listened, looked; nobody! And then I heard a voice say, 'a footstool, please.' Saving your presence, gentlemen, it made me feel all-schoolgirl like. But the voice went on, 'Don't be frightened, Kaede, I'm the school house ghost!' And the voice was so soft and kind that I hardly felt frightened. The voice was sitting in the corner chair, on the right, in the front row."

"Was there any one in the box on the right of Box Five?" asked Kouga.

"No; Box Seven, and Box Three, the one on the left, were both empty. The curtain had only just gone up."

"And what did you do?"

"Well, I brought the footstool of course! It wasn't for himself he wanted it, but for his lady! But I never heard her nor saw her." She said with a romantic gleam in her old gaze.

"Eh? What? So now the ghost is married!" The eyes of the two managers traveled from Kaede to the security head, who, standing behind the old woman, was waving his arms to attract their attention. He tapped his forehead with a distressful forefinger, to convey his opinion that the widow Kaede was most certainly mad, a piece of pantomime which confirmed Kouga in his determination to get rid of an security head who had allowed them to keep a lunatic in their service. Meanwhile, the worthy lady went on about her ghost, now painting his generosity.

"At the end of the performance, he always gives me a twenty dollars, sometimes a hundred, sometimes even more, when he has skipped a performance or two. Only, since people have begun to annoy him, he gives me nothing at all."

"Excuse me, my good woman," said Hachi, "excuse me, how does the ghost manage to give you your money?"

"Why, he leaves them on the little shelf in the box, of course! I find them with the program, which I always give him. Some evenings, I find flowers in the box, a rose that must have dropped from his lady's bodice...for he brings a lady with him sometimes; one day, they left a fan behind them."

"Oh, the ghost left a fan, did he?" Kouga asked dubiously. "And what did you do with it?"

"Well, I brought it back to the box next night."

"You brought back the fan. And then?"

"Well, then, they took it away with them, sir; it was not there at the end of the performance; and in its place they left me a box of caramel sweets, which I'm very fond of."

"That will do, Kaede. You can go."

When Kaede had bowed herself out, with the dignity that never deserted her, the manager told the security head that they had decided to dispense with his services; and, when he had gone in his turn, they instructed the secretary to make up the needed paperwork to look for a new Head of Security. Left alone, the managers told each other of the idea which they both had in mind, they should look into the matter of Box Five themselves.

**End Chapter**

Sadly, no Sesshy or Kagome goodness but had to work with ongoing plot stuff. Should be back to our main pair before much longer however.

-LfL

Thanks again to my beta. :)


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